Rail-joint.



T. J. BONNEL.

RAH. JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1914.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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THEODORE J. BONNEL, OF ROSALIA, KANSAS.

RAIL-J OIN T.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THEODORE J. BoNNEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rosalia, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a rail joint and more particularly to that class wherein two rail sections are held in operative relation to each other without the use of fish plates or other auxiliary stay members.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a rail joint wherein lateral displacement is prevented and positive alinement of the rails is provided without the use of fish plates or bolts fastened transversely through the web of the rail.

Another object of my invention contemplates the provision of such details in the construction of a rail joint as will provide for the immediate locking of the abutting ends of a pair of rails into operative position without the necessity of driving auxiliary retaining means through the web, flange or other portion of the said rails.

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A still further obj ect of my invention contemplates the provision of a rail joint which may be easily taken apart after it has been in use a reasonable length of time without extracting a number of spikes, bolts, or other retaining members from engagement therewith, and which after being taken apart may be as easily put together again in its original position. j 7

Other objects of the invention will appear in the full detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my rail joint which shows to advantage a number of its structural details. Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the rails embodied in my invention showing to'advantage the locking Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my invention having a portion thereof broken away to show to advantage the vertical retaining pin. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of my invention having a portion thereof broken away to show to advantage my looking pin as engaging in operative relation to my retaining pin.

In the drawings, wherein similar characters refer to similar parts, the preferred embodiment of my invention contemplates the provision of a pair of rails A and B which are provided with the usual web, tread and base flanges throughout the greater portion of their length. However, in order to bring forth the function of my invention I eliminate the use of the ordinary web adjacent the terminal ends of the rail and provide instead what might be termed a continuous tread designated by 1 which gradually slopes inwardly a short distance'from the end of the rail to form the ordinary web designated by 2.

Upon the abutting end of the rail A I provide the extension 3 which is provided in turn upon its abutting end with a projection 4, which projection ends flush with the upper and lower faces of the extension 3 and has its sides cut away to form shoulders 5 upon the said abutting end of the extension 3. Beneath the extension 3 and extending longitudinally midway the sides thereof is an enlargement 6 which terminates midway the distance between the shoulders and the abutting end of the projection 4. A second extension 7 is formed on the abutting end of the rail A and is formed integrally with and extends half way the length of the upper face of the projection 3. The said extension 4 is bifurcated at its end to form arms 8 and 9 and is cut away beneath said arms as shown at 10. A vertically extending bore 11 is formed through the extension 3 and be -neath the bifurcation of the extension 7.

Said bore 11 extends downwardly through the enlargement 6. Communicating with said bore and extending over one of the sides of said extension 3 is a concave portion 12, the said bore 11 and the concave portion 12 being formed for the reception of such locking means as will hereinafter be referred to.

The abutting end of the second rail B is adapted for the reception of the enlargements and extension above referred to and is provided with a vertically extending bore 13 which extends from top to bottom thereof and which is flared at its upper end as shown at 14., The said bore 13 is disposed substantially the same distance from the abutting end of the rail B as the bore 11 is disposed from the abutting end of the rail A so that upon the disposition of the rails in operative relation to each other the bore 11 and the bore 13 will register for the purpose to be hereinafter referred to,

A cut out portion 15 is formed in the abutting end of the extension 3. Communicating with said out out portion 15 and being of the same height but of less width is the indentation 16. Said indentation 16 is for the reception of the projection 4: and is of substantially the same size and configuration. Because of the dissimilarity in size between the cut out portion 15 and the indentation 16 two walls 17 are provided in the rail B on opposite sides of the in dentation 16, which walls 17 are adapted for abutting relation against the shoulders 5 above referred to. In order to receive the enlargement 6 of the rail A I provide recesses 1S communicating with said out out portion 15 and formed in. the base of the rail B and also communicating with the cut out portion 15 I provide a second recess 19 which is adapted for the reception of the extension 7 formed on the rail A. Both recesses above referred to also communicate with the bore 13. A second cut out portion 20 is formed in and extends transversely of the web on the rail B and has communication with the groove 19. The said out out portion 20 is disposed substantially the same distance from the abutting end of the rail B as the cut out portion 12 formed in the extension 3 of the abutting end rail A, so that upon disposing the rails in abutting relation to each other the said out out portions 12 and 20 will register and form an opening which is in communication with the bores 11 and 13, providing means for the reception of locking members to be hereinafter referred to. Upon disposing the rails A and B in abutting operative position the enlargements, projections, and extensions formed on the rail A will be received in correspondingly shaped openings, indentations and cut out portions formed in the rail B and in order to hold the saidrails in operative position I provide a looking means including a plate spring 21 which is secured to the rail B by means of a rivet, screw, or bolt 22 and has formed 01' secured on the outer end the pin 23. The said spring 21 extends slightly past the registering cut out portions 12 and 20 and the pin 23 is positioned upon the spring 21 so that it may be received when desired within the registering cutout portions 12 and 20. The pin 23 is of such a length that it will extend past the internal terminus of the cut out portions of the joint substantially midway the width of the projection 7 and the recess 19. In order to lock the rails in operative position I provide a second pin 24 which is adapted for reception within the registering bores 11 and 13 and which has an enlarged head 25 for retention within the flared opening 14 of the bore 13. Said pin 24: is further provided with a cut out portion 26 which cut out portion registers with the cut out portions 12 and 20 upon disposition of said pin 24 within the bores 11 and 13. The said out out portion 26 is adapted for reception of the pin 23 upon its disposition within the cut out portions 12 and 20 so that the pin 24 is positively locked against disengagement with the rails A and B. Attention is called to the fact that each rail is provided upon its respective ends with means such as are formed on the rails A and B so that many of them may be placed in alinement to form a continuous tread.

The operation of my invention is as fol lows: A plurality of rails are laid. upon the ties with the ends containing means such as are formed in the rail B in proximity with ends having means thereon such as are provided in the rail A; and are then forced together; that is, the projections and enlargements are disposed within the cut out portions and grooves and the locking pins 2% disposed within the registering bores 11 and 13, whereupon the pins 23 are disposed within the out out portions 12 and 20 and engaged in the cut out portions 26 formed in the pins 24. The said pins 23 are always retained in looking position by means of the plate springs 21 so that a rail structure is provided which positively eliminates the i use of fish plates or other auxiliary members and which prohibits dangerous displacement. Various changes in the details of structure may suggest themselves, and in so far as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims are reserved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A rail joint, comprising two abutting rails, an extension formed on one of said rails, outstanding members formed intergrally therewith, the remaining rail being provided with cut-out portions for the reception of said extension and said outstanding members to hold said rails in alinement, said extension and said outstanding members being provided with a bore and a cut-out portion in connectlon with sald bore, said remaining rail being provided with a: bore adapted to register with said first named bore and a cutout portion connected with said second named bore and adapted to register with the cut-out portion in said extension, and looking means retained within said bores and said cut-out portions for retaining the rails in abutting relation.

2. A rail joint, comprising a pair of abutting rails, an extension formed on the abutting end of one of said rails, an enlargement formed beneath said extension, a second extension formed above said first extension, said first and second extensions and said enlargement having a bore formed therein, the

other of said rails being provided with a I cut-out portion formed in said rail for the reception of said first extension, a pair of recesses for the reception of said enlargement and said second extension, the other of said rails having a bore registering With said extension, means passing through said bores to lock said rails in abutting position, and means carried by the first named rail to lock said first named means in position.

3. A rail joint, comprising two abutting rails, an extension formed on the abutting end of one of said rails, an enlargement formed below said extension, a second extension formed above said first extension, said first and second extensions and said enlargement having a bore formed therein, the other of said rails being provided With a cut-out portion for the reception of said first extension, the remaining rail having a pair of recesses for the reception of said enlargement and said extensions, the second mentioned rail having a bore formed therein for registration With the first mentioned bore, means passing through said bores to lock said rails in abutting position, a plate spring carried by said other rail, and a pin disposed upon said plate spring and extended through said other rail and into engagement With said means for securely retaining said means in said bores.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

THEODORE J. BON N EL.

Vitnesses:

J. H. LIGGETT, HANS C. NELSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

